The dreamof securing a third level university for the south east hasmoved a step closer with the announcement that a detailed business plan for a facility is to go to the Higher Education Authority early next year.

Kilkenny will be central to the plans for the university, with a campus to be located at the proposed new Knowledge and Business Quarter on the Smithwick's Brewery site. Plans for the new Knowledge and Business Quarter were unveiled this week. It will drive economic development across Kilkenny city and county and in the region in the coming years.

This week it was announced that the two institutes of technology in the region, Carlow and Waterford, are to come together to prepare a business plan for the new South East Technological University which will be multi campus, with centres in in Waterford, Carlow, Wexford and Kilkenny.

It is envisaged the university will:

• Have over 15,000 students and produce more than 4,500 graduates every year to meet the needs of industry and enterprise across all disciplines including business, engineering, science and the humanities.
• Employ over 1,300 staff, worth €250m to the regional economy.
• Focus on research development and innovation, resourced by a €25m per annum budget.
• Drive the creation of new knowledge and business in key economic activities such as agriculture, information technology, engineering, tourism and the environmental, biological and pharmaceutical sciences.
• Nurture up to 100 new and emerging enterprises as well as creating strategic working partnerships with multinational and indigenous business focussed on job creation activities.
• Have an international reputation with up to 1000 international enrolments through the creation of partnerships in 35 countries across all continents.

The business plan for the new South East Technological University will set out the approach to meet the criteria for university designation, and the process to formally merge the Carlow and Waterford Institutes of Technology. A joint technological university office is being established to oversee and deliver on the business plan.

The Institutes have appointed Mr Colin Browne, Senior Director, Online Operations with Microsoft Ireland, as chair of the Project Implementation Board. He is a former graduate of institutes, and native of the South East, living in Wexford, The board also includes the two Chairpersons of IT Carlow and Waterford IT, the two presidents and a range of external experts including Prof Pat Fottrell, President Emeritus NUIG, Mr Michael McGrath, former CEO of the Irish Universities Association and Prof John Davies, an international consultant.